coyotes

[nortpete]

There are thee large groups of hound hunters in my area of Crawford county. The last few years each group has killed at least 60 coyotes and the numbers are going up each year.

[Buckwheat]

Nortpete
That would make sense. 10 to 15  years ago there were a lot of coyotes in Ohio.  Pa guys were just starting to kill a few and Ohio guys already had a steady diet of coyotes. Just shows how once they get a foot hold they just keep spreading. I think if it was not for callers, trappers and hounds men the whole state would be over run real badly with these killer's.

[Huntin 4 yotes]

Buckwheat, also there are no foxes left here.  When I go out on a set it's a coyote or nothing coming in.  I see why like bees said first time predator hunters get discouraged real fast and give it up.

[Buckwheat]

Hunting 4 yotes
There should be some gray fox.

[Huntin 4 yotes]

I have never seen a grey fox in the woods around here. Reds were here before the coyotes appeared.  If there around there's not many.  I can't even recall anybody I know saying they even seen a grey. 

[Buckwheat]

Hunting 4 yotes
That is possible, I have never seen a gray fox here either. Just red fox. I hope coyotes never get a strong hold here.

[Huntin 4 yotes]

Buckwheat, I also wonder about the fawn population.   I was out before dark this evening watching a powerline and 4 different doe were feeding at different distances and i did not see any yearlings with them. 

[Buckwheat]

Hunting 4 yotes
That is a hard one to figure out. I have doe at my feeder and only see the fawns every now and then. For a wile I did not think there were any fawns.
The PGC needs  to do a real study and stop just using other states coyote information and get the facts on coyotes. and stop just  using old information.  They need to get out in the field and stop using second hand information from other states to make there reports.  They need to have a real study on coyotes and real reports what they truly find if that is possible any more with these collage kids with no out door experience.

[Huntin 4 yotes]

Buckwheat, I agree with u 100% about the pgc. 

[Misterjake23]

Buckwheat,  I was lucky enough to kill one gray fox here in York County.  I took him to a local fur buyer and he had a hard time believeing me that I killed it in York County.

[Buckwheat]

Misterjake
I seen a gray fox not far from you in wrightsville about 15 years ago. It was near hakes gun shop and the quarry.

[TrappinJohn]

Unfortunately, coyotes will hurt your grey population too

[Buckwheat]

Trapping_john
In curtain parts of Texas there are tons of coyotes and gray fox living together. I wonder if they truly do afect the nunbers of gray fox in Pa. I think the Fisher is the big problem on gray fox.

[QUATTRO]

Hunting 4 yotes
That is a hard one to figure out. I have doe at my feeder and only see the fawns every now and then. For a wile I did not think there were any fawns.
The PGC needs  to do a real study and stop just using other states coyote information and get the facts on coyotes. and stop just  using old information.  They need to get out in the field and stop using second hand information from other states to make there reports.  They need to have a real study on coyotes and real reports what they truly find if that is possible any more with these collage kids with no out door experience.

Even if the PGC does a study and finds what many people already believe is a fact, that coyotes are a leading factor in the fawn mortality, whats the solution??

[TrappinJohn]

You can no way compare a state like Texas with PA.  Ive been to other states hunting and trapping and the terrain, population, food sources, etc. are all different.  Heck, a fella from Texas told me a fox could live on nothing but snakes and bugs in texas all year long.

Everyone has their own opinion.  Mine is based on 35 years of years of hunting an trapping.
Not only me, but many close friends and families that trapping and hunting is a way of life.

In the 80s and most of the 90s, we had a good population of both reds and greys. We experienced a great 20 year run with consistent catches and called fox.  Around 1997, we started consistently catching a few coyotes.  By 2000 - 2002 our fox catches were a 3rd of what they were during that 20 year run.  Including the greys.  There have been many changes over the years that have contributed to the fox decline, but the coyote is the most obvious change.

Since then I've seen it fluctuate.  When we see a couple years of lower coyote numbers, the following couple years are better for fox.   

As far as fisher go, what makes you think that?  I saw the population shift long before the fisher took hold in my area.  Matter of fact, we have less fisher here now than we did 5 years ago.  Maybe the coyote are getting them too?